


i can think of something better

by loonyloopyluna



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: A little bit of angst, F/F, Identity Reveal, Mostly Fluff, answer: they do not, anyway why do midnight makeout sessions have to be limited to ladrien and marichat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-21
Updated: 2017-04-21
Packaged: 2018-10-22 01:55:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10687383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loonyloopyluna/pseuds/loonyloopyluna
Summary: Alya likes Ladybug. Ladybug is Marinette. Marinette likes Alya. Alya maybe likes Marinette?Or, the time Marinette managed to get into a love triangle with herself. For like two minutes.





	i can think of something better

Marinette couldn’t really pinpoint the day she started falling for Alya. But she knew the day it all fell apart.

She was doing another Ladyblog-exclusive interview; she had started giving a lot of them lately. It was worth it to see the smile on Alya’s face and to maybe, possibly, flirt in a way she couldn’t otherwise. She told Tikki she was glad to do anything as long as it made her best friend happy, and it was true. She grinned a little wider every time Alya’s eyes sparkled.

Anything for a fan.

Marinette didn’t realize how deep she had dug herself until Alya flirted back. And instead of gently turning her down, like she should have, she froze. And Alya did, too, suddenly realizing how very wrong it would be to try to seduce the savior of Paris. The awkward silence spread between them; it was like Alya had knocked a glass of water off the table, and neither moved to clean it up. They just stared.

Alya closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and held it for a few seconds, and in those few seconds, Ladybug examined her best friend’s face. The way her eyelids flickered and eyelashes fluttered minutely with each second. Her lips, slightly pursed, letting out a steady exhale, _1-2-3-4-5_. Her cheeks were flushed, though rapidly returning to their normal color. She opened her eyes, looking directly into Ladybug’s, who felt herself blush in response. There’s something intimate about watching someone who couldn’t see you, and Ladybug felt embarrassed that she’d wanted to.

Or rather, that she’d been caught. As Marinette, she took every moment she could, observing Alya out of the corner of her eye, or taking any opportunity to draw Alya’s attention to herself, to have full power over those clear, beautiful hazel eyes, if only for a second.

And here, Ladybug was staring into those eyes again, hardly able to tear herself away. Alya blinked right back, and she wondered if they had to look away, after all, to break the silent spell stretching between them. The rational, superhero part of her brain whispered vaguely, reminding her to listen, to ignore the fluttery feeling in her stomach and step back and stop herself before she blew everything apart.

Alya’s nose twitched, and she readjusted her glasses slightly, in the way that Marinette had recently found so endearing. It wasn’t that she needed to; the number of times she’d been thrown across the city without losing them testified to how securely the frames stuck to her nose. It was more of a nervous tic.

Ladybug was a heroine, a pillar of rationality, strength, and discipline; any idiosyncrasies she had outside the suit were swept away when Tikki came into play. But above all, she was a girl of action. And sometimes, that meant going with her impulses, because what feels right in the moment may be overruled by too much thinking.

Alya twitched, no longer frozen in place. “Um, that was unprofessional. Sorry. We should--I mean...” she trailed off, looking nervously away and stopping her recording.

Ladybug continued to take her in: innocent, wide-eyed, and maybe a little sweaty. She had been building to this moment for months, but rationally, she knew she shouldn’t act; she should keep things together, keep it professional, keep it platonic. Ladybug should never get romantically involved with a civilian.

Fuck logic, though.

* * *

Alya wore her shirt closed a button higher than usual the next day, and her attention kept straying to the window. Marinette knew both of them were her fault, and she had to work to keep herself from actively staring. And smiling. Because Alya still didn’t know, but she would.

Marinette was tired, herself. She’d stayed out much later than she’d planned and definitely paid for it. But a sleepy Marinette wasn’t an unusual sight; anyone could verify the countless times that she’d stayed up late sewing (or used that excuse to cover up a greater emergency). Alya didn’t connect the dots--or the spots. Why should she? On top of it all, she was giddy from the events of last night and from lack of sleep afterward. Anything not blatantly obvious passed her by, because she was waiting for Ladybug to land on her desk, not realizing she was already sitting right next to her, behind it.

Marinette fidgeted as Alya laid her head down sleepily on the desk and tilted her face towards her. “Late night again last night?”Alya asked, barely stifling her own yawn. “What were you working on?”

“I’ll show you later,” Marinette promised, echoing something she’d said last night.

_At last, Ladybug had to leave. She pressed a last kiss to Alya’s cheek, trailing her lips down her jaw and ending with a peck on the lips. “I really do need to go now,” she whispered, running her thumb across Alya’s knuckles._

_“Can I at least know who you are?” Alya asked. It was a long shot, she knew, but if this was the start of something new--and she hoped it was--she wanted to be able to have a name to tell her friends about, at least._

_“Later,” Ladybug promised. “I’ll show you tomorrow.”_

_Alya frowned. “You’re not just saying that to get rid of me, are you?”_

_“Of course not!” Ladybug replied. She covered Alya’s hand with both of her own and whispered, “I need to give myself an excuse to see you again, don’t I? I’d better leave some unfinished business, then.”_

_Sly realization dawned on Alya’s face and she removed her hand from Ladybug’s grasp. “Well then. I'll see you tomorrow, I guess.”_

Alya was a little less accepting of this excuse, though, and bothered Marinette about her “secret project” for the rest of the afternoon. Marinette was never one to hide her work from her friends, and perhaps that was what kept Alya so intrigued. No small part of it was also that it kept her mind occupied, rather than obsessing over her more important problem.

_Ladybug._

Marinette almost gave up the game too soon, when she swept her hair behind her ear in P.E. and Alix called out, “Oh my god, Marinette, is that a hickey?”

It was, in fact, courtesy of Alya herself, though of course she didn't know. One of the downsides of having a superhero suit is that the only exposed areas are the ones that are also uncovered in civilian form. Marinette chuckled awkwardly and brushed it off as a bruise. Chloe looked at her distastefully, but she was too busy watching Alya to make sure her cover wasn’t blown to bother getting mad.

The truth was, she would have loved to text Alya her secret the minute she woke up-- _”Surprise! It’s tomorrow! It’s me. I’m Ladybug_ \--and spend the entire day being able to hold her hand and sneak kisses in class and know that there were no barriers between them anymore. But...

A part of her had held her back for a while, because Alya knew so much about superheroes and their stories. She would, tell her that nothing good ever comes from a superhero who reveals their identity, even to the ones they're closest to; she had in the past. But Marinette also knew--hoped?--that real life was different enough and that Alya would be safer than ever. If she knew. If they were together. If, if, if.

Alya always told Marinette that she had a habit of overthinking things. So she tried to take the advice of the person that mattered the most in order to win her heart.

Marinette let herself be a little too conspicuous in gazing at Alya, but if she was, Alya was too wrapped up in her own fantasies to notice. Marinette created her own by the minute; a common theme involved leaving for a second, coming back as Ladybug, and carrying Alya away, across the street. Sitting on her bed, the way they always did, but with a lot less talking, after a while.

She had to blush and look away, as if Alya could read her thoughts.

Marinette suggested that Alya come back to her house for lunch, and her friend happily accepted; she had that eager look Marinette knew too well from when she was hunting down a story for her blog, and Marinette knew she had been dying to tell her about last night.

But it was nearly half an hour after they had sat down to eat when Alya heaved a dreamy sigh and rested her cheek theatrically against her hand. She wiggled her eyebrows at Marinette. “I had the _best_ night last night,” she grinned.

“Oh?” Marinette’s innocent smile trembled in anticipation and she ached to hold herself still.

Alya nodded emphatically. “I got another interview with Ladybug! I don't know how much of the footage I'll end up being able to use, though.”

“Why's that?”

“Oh, most of it's unimportant stuff, things we've talked about before,” she said, flippantly taking a bite of her lunch.

“What-um, what was so exciting about it, then?” Marinette asked. She was morbidly curious to see what Alya had to say about her, but at the same time, kind of embarrassed. She didn't know if she would be able to keep it together or if her pink cheeks and flustered manner would give her away.

Alya suddenly sobered up, almost seeming shy. “We kissed.”

Marinette had been drinking in order to hide the smile that curled involuntary across her face, and she used the opportunity to theatrically pretend to choke. “You… kissed Ladybug?”

“Well, technically, she kissed me first,” Alya said defensively. She smiled infatuously and twirled her hair around her finger. Marinette remembered tangling her own fingers in it and longed to do so again, without gloves; to know how it felt, if it was really as soft as it looked--

She clenched her fist against her leg, white knuckles popping out.

“Are you mad?” Alya asked, her voice soft and small. Marinette was reminded of the way she talked to an angry animal or petulant child.

She relaxed her hands, released the tension in her frame. “No, of course not,” she said. “Are you happy? That's all I care about.”

Alya stared at the table, a dreamy cloud over her eyes. “Yeah, I am. And thank you, Marinette. I just wish--” She bit her lip.

“Wish what?” Marinette prompted.

“It’s dumb, I know, but… I just wish I knew more about her,” Alya said. “Like, yeah, she’s done a ton of interviews with me, but they’re all about being _Ladybug_ , and… I don’t know what she likes to do in her free time or what her number is, or even what her name is! I feel like I have to just wait around for her to come to me. I mean, maybe she just meant it as a casual thing. God, I feel so silly for getting too into it. I’m sure you’re wondering why I can’t just enjoy what I have now; I know I am.

“But, I mean, it’s Ladybug, right?” Alya laughed. “God, Marinette, it was just… amazing. We were talking about--I don’t even remember what it was, to be honest. And then, I don’t know what came over me! I mean, she said she was probably the youngest superhero in Europe, and then I said she was probably the hottest superhero in Europe, too, and then it just got really quiet. I thought I messed up really bad, but then she kissed me, so, uh, maybe not.”

Marinette stifled a giggle. “Oh, really? Wow. I didn’t know you were so great at flirting, Alya.”

“Definitely. So, you know, if you need tips for picking up Adrien, hit me up.” She winked.

“Hmm.” Marinette’s face dropped, and she picked at her food. All jokes aside, she had suddenly realized how much she’d screwed herself over, and she had lost her appetite.

Marinette’s sudden shift in mood made the grin slid off Alya’s face, too. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s just…” Marinette chose her words carefully. “I don’t think I’m going to ask Adrien out, after all.”

Alya chuckled. It started uncertainly enough, and petered out as Marinette’s face stayed serious. “Wait, really?”

Marinette shrugged.

“Why? I think you really do have a chance!” Alya said. “I mean, you’re beautiful, and-and strong, and wonderful, and--”

“I know,” Marinette said quietly. Then, feverishly, “That’s the problem!”

“Um. What?”

“You. You’re the problem,” Marinette replied. “When you talk like that, and act like that, and I-I realized, I don’t think I like Adrien. I think--I know--I like… _you_.”

Their eyes met, and a wordless, intimate _something_ passed between them, and Marinette dared herself to hope. Alya’s expression was frozen in shock and wonder; then, like a tea cup had shattered against it, she looked away furiously.

“Are you kidding?” she asked angrily.

“What are you--?”

Alya shook her head, grinning sourly and muttering, “All this time, _all this time_ , I had a crush on you. I thought you knew, and you didn’t want to encourage anything so you just… and _now_ , when I tell you about this thing with Ladybug, and I maybe start to move on…” She snapped her head up and glared at Marinette, angry tears glinting in her eyes. “How could you do this? _Why_ would you do this to me?”

“What?”

Alya laid her head in her heads. Marinette reached tentatively out and stroked her hair.

“You could have said something yesterday, even,” Alya whispered. “I thought I made up my mind last night. I-I’m sorry, Marinette. I have to go.”

She jerked up suddenly and made to push back, but Marinette blurted out, “Wait! What if you didn’t have to?”

Alya sat back down. “Marinette, I can't...”

Marinette laid her hand on top of Alya’s. “The last thing I would want to do is hurt you,” she insisted.

“I know. But--”

“Just let me explain,” Marinette interrupted. She smiled. “Please?”

Alya sat back down, and Marinette took that as her cue to continue.

“For a while, I wasn't sure that I liked you,” she began. She suddenly felt very shy and averted her eyes, addressing her hands, which lay twisted on the tabletop. “I just knew I loved seeing you happy, and I loved being around you, and I loved that being around you seemed enough to make you happy. And that was enough, for a while. Then maybe I got selfish, because I wanted to be around you all the time, even when you weren't around me, because I just wanted to watch your face light up. It was all I could think of sometimes, and, God, I'd get to see it _twice_ and know it was all because of me. And I am so, so sorry. As crazy as it sounds, I forgot about you during all that. How it would affect you, I mean.”

“Marinette, I don't understand.”

“And then when I realized that I liked you, that this was a real, actual crush, I got scared,” she continued. “I didn't know if you felt the same way, or if I was just reading too much into things, and I couldn't bear to make a mistake and ruin our friendship and lose you for good. But I thought I knew who you _did_ like. So I took that chance.”

“Mari, you're not making any sense,” Alya said nervously.

Marinette forced herself to look up. She locked eyes with Alya and kept her gaze as level as she could, breathing heavily in anticipation. “Alya, I'm Ladybug.”

And Alya just stared. And stared. Marinette held her head high and stared back. Then, into the silence, she asked, “Um, do you need me to prove it?”

Alya stood up and walked around the table towards Marinette. “Because I can,” the other girl continued. “Here, let me--”

She leaned down to unclasp her purse, but Alya placed a gentle finger under her chin, guiding her face back up. She brought their lips together, wordlessly, slowly, softly. Marinette melted again.

When Marinette slid her arms around Alya’s waist, holding her in place, she broke away. They stared at each other some more; Marinette hopeful, Alya amazed.

Then, Alya finally broke the silence. Her smile was like sunshine and she pulled Marinette into a tight hug, burying her face into the corner of her neck. “Oh my god,” she breathed.

“Is that… okay?” Marinette whispered into her hair, returning the hug fiercely.

Alya pulled back. “ _God,_ yes.” She laughed, and Marinette joined in, twisting the notes together in a bright harmony.

They probably would have continued for a while, but Marinette’s mother came in through the front door. She was frowning, but the girls’ laughter was contagious.

“What’s so funny?” she asked, chuckling despite herself. Marinette shook her head wordlessly, and her mother crossed her arms. “Well, I just came up to tell you that if you don’t leave now, you’re going to be late to class, so you can laugh about it on your way back.”

They both nodded and went to collect their things. Marinette pecked her mother on the cheek as they passed, and as they rushed down the stairs, they tried not to trip. Running while holding hands was something neither of them had mastered quite yet, but they weren’t willing to let go.

* * *

The two of them kept their hands to themselves--mostly--for the rest of the day, and when they parted ways, Alya left Marinette with a simple kiss on the cheek. “I have to get home,” she said apologetically. “My mom’s working late and I need to babysit. I’ll talk to you later, though?”

Marinette grinned. “I’ll see if I can stop by.” Alya squeezed her hand and rushed off, and Marinette smiled to herself as she climbed up to her bedroom.

Finally, she was alone, and Tikki flew out of her purse, a stern and surprisingly menacing look on her face. Marinette threw herself into her desk chair and stared defiantly back up at her.

“I know what you’re going to say,” she said. “I’m sorry. But I just  _had_ to say something.”

She knew the minute she and her kwami were alone, she'd face the repercussions. But it was worth it. Marinette knew Tikki was a romantic at heart, and while she knew her behavior had been reckless and irresponsible, she hoped Tikki would forgive her in the name of happy endings.

Tikki sighed and crossed her little arms. “I know, Marinette. But you should have known better than to get yourself tangled up like that in the first place.” She settled on Marinette’s shoulder and said in a gentler tone, “I could have told you that Alya likes you for _you_.”

Marinette sighed. “I know that now. But Ladybug is me, too. I just--I had an opportunity, and I took it. It’s in the past, anyway, and there’s nothing we can do about it now.” She grinned. “Plus, I know you love her mom’s cooking…”

Tikki shook her head. “Just be careful, Marinette. That’s all I have to say. And… don’t abuse your powers.”

“Yeah, about that...” Marinette grimaced. “I did tell her I would try to come by tonight.” She smiled innocently and batted her eyelashes at the kwami.

Tikki sighed. “Fine. I’m going to take a nap. Wake me up when you go.”

“Yeah, no, I meant, like,” Marinette hedged. “Going to see her as Ladybug.”

Tikki was already on her way up to the bed, and simply shook her head in exasperation, which Marinette took as permission enough. She could barely contain herself, but forced herself to wait for a few hours. She had chores and homework to do, Alya had siblings to care for, and besides, the more she got done beforehand, the longer she could stay out.

Finally, she bounded up the ladder and bounced on the bed. “Ready, Tikki?” she asked. The kwami stirred and blinked up at her. “Transform me!”

Any guilt that lingered from Tikki faded away with the warm evening wind. She landed on Alya’s roof with palpable enthusiasm and swung down to her window, hanging upside down and tapping on the glass. Alya was at her computer, her back to the window, and she jumped wildly, nearly falling off her chair. When she swung around to look, her face cleared, and she rushed over to crack the window open and pull Ladybug bodily inside.

“Ladybug? What a surprise!” Alya said innocently.

“Oh?” she replied. “Were you expecting someone else?”

“You know, I was. My, um, well I guess I'd call her my _girlfriend,_ was supposed to stop by.”

Ladybug looked up from their intertwined hands. “Sorry,” she whispered. “My kwami is kind of pissed and I really don't want to deal with that right now.”

“Your what?” Alya asked, leading her over to the bed. She sat down and pulled the heroine on top of her.

Ladybug frowned. “I'll explain later.” She leaned in and kissed Alya, relishing in the feeling. When they pulled apart, they were both grinning widely. “Besides, I believe we had some unfinished business last night.”

Alya hummed and slid her hands around Ladybug’s back, tracing small circles with her fingertips. “Sounds good to me, my lady.”

Despite Alya's serious and almost sultry tone, Ladybug burst out laughing.

“What?”

“Nothing,” she sputtered. “Just… don't...Chat Noir calls me that. I can't take it seriously anymore.”

Alya brought a hand up to her mouth. “Oh my god, he doesn't!”

They laughed until they were out of breath, and sighed in unison, content in each other's arms. Ladybug settled herself more comfortably on Alya’s lap and smoothed a few stray curls back from her face. “We can figure something else out later. I think I've talked myself out for today.”

Alya pulled Ladybug even closer. “Me too.”

**Author's Note:**

> cross-posted to my tumblr [here](http://chatchevalier.tumblr.com/post/159815279176/i-can-think-of-something-better)!


End file.
